Potluck Fever

Jon and I went to two potlucks this past weekend. We ate some amazing food. The first one was a small gathering for dinner at a friend’s home. There were only about eight different dishes but they went together well and there was more than enough to go back for a plate full of seconds. The second potluck was the Kick-Off party for Six Rivers Market (Six Rivers Market is the new on-line local products market just starting in town. I’ll come clean and tell you I’m the market manager and you can learn more about it at our website www.sixriversmarket.org). Let me tell you, people who are interested in local food sure know how to cook. The magnitude and variety of food on that table was mind-boggling. It was like going to an international smorgasbord. Plates were piled high and I don’t think anyone left hungry.
After digesting all those delicious meals, I started thinking about where and when the idea of potlucks started. I’d always thought the word originated from the Native American word potlatch but Wikipedia set me straight. The word is actually of English origins and appeared as early as the 1500s. Back then, it was used to refer to what guests at inns would have to contend with if they wanted a meal. They’d get whatever was cooking in the large stew pot. Sometimes they’d get lucky and get something that hadn’t been cooking for too many days and had some meat in it. Sometimes they’d just get gruel.
Potluck parties, like the ones we just attended are a newer use of the word. Parties where each guest is asked to contribute something to the meal began at the end of the 19th century. They’ve gone in and out of fashion ever since. Personally, I never tire of them.
I love the fact that I can spend time making just one dish and yet share in a diverse and delicious meal with friends and community and not spend very much money doing it. Sure, we could all go out to a restaurant and share food around the table but then you might never learn that Ronnie makes the most amazing cheesecake or your perpetual bachelor friend makes some mean guacamole.
I must admit that I like to show off my cooking skills as well. For some reason, making something that takes all day for a potluck is doable, making it just for me and Jon doesn’t seem worth the effort.
Potlucks can be as simple or complex as you want. You can throw a potluck and tell guests to bring whatever they like without any structure to the meal. However, you are more likely to end up with all chips or all dessert if you don’t give any specifics. A friend of mine actually pulled a practical joke on a host that wasn’t willing to specify what to bring. She called all the guests and told everyone to bring brownies. When the host started getting nervous, they went back out to their cars and brought in the real dishes they’d made.
You can assert a bit more control and rest easier by telling guests what type of dish to bring: a main dish, drinks, or dessert. Or you can do what my mom and her friends have been doing for over 30 years. They don’t call it potluck (and might be offended to hear me call it that), they call it a gourmet group. Everyone brings one dish to share but the host exerts some control over the meal by assigning dishes, and often times recipes, to each participant. The dishes are quite a bit more elegant than chips and salsa or green bean casserole and the table is set with fancy plates. Still, it depends on each guest to supply some of the meal, and in my mind, that makes it a potluck.
Potlucks have been getting more imaginative lately. You can have a potluck with a theme. I’ve been to a potluck where the dishes related to the movie we watched after dinner. You can involve a whole neighborhood by having a progressive potluck where each course is served at another persons house (which I’m not totally in favor of; too many dishes to do afterwards). There’s even a website (www.luckypotluck.com) where you can invite people on-line and they can list the dishes they are going to bring (that would definitely take care of the multiple batches of brownies).
The potluck we just had for Six Rivers Market is my favorite kind. What better way to bring together the community than through the sharing of food. Now if I could just figure out who made the enchilada pie so I could get the recipe.

Vicki Reich lives in Sagle with her partner Jon. They always plan and cook their potluck contributions together, and love to attend any and all food related events. Vicki can be contacted at wordomouth@yahoo.com

My friend Laura is always invited to my potlucks because I can count on her to bring a platter of stuffed mushrooms. They never last long. Here’s my tribute to her.

Stuffed Mushrooms
Makes at least 6 servings

1 lb large button mushrooms (either white or brown)
3 T. butter
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ c shallot, finely chopped
1 egg
½ c fresh bread crumbs
2 T. fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 t. fresh thyme, finely chopped
½ c. + 2 T. Parmesan, grated
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400F. Carefully remove the stems from the mushroom cap. If the caps need cleaning, use a damp towel to carefully rub the dirt off. Set the caps aside and finely chop the stems
Heat the butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the garlic and shallot and cook 2 minutes. Add the chopped mushroom stems and cook for 8 minutes. Place the mixture in a bowl. Let cool for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients (reserving the 2T of cheese). Season to taste. Stuff each cap full. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Arrange on a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes until cheese begins to brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.